Mei
This column is a reprint from Unwinnable Monthly #135. If you like what you see, grab the magazine for less than ten dollars, or subscribe and get all future magazines for half price.
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Imaginary correspondence
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Dear Mei,
“News stories don’t always have to be major, they just have to matter,” you told me, and it’s true.
For every major news story, there’s another story hidden under the radar that another writer put their heart and soul into. Not as many people might pay attention, but somewhere, there’s a reader wondering where that piece has been all their life.
Even when you think your writing doesn’t matter, someone cares about it – even if that person is you.
Stories aren’t always about the number of eyes that will lay upon them. Instead, they’re about finding those moments that make us human, whether they become a cause for celebration or a warning for the future.
So, keep looking for those moments, even if you have to write down everything by hand or draw your visuals. (Though, of course, I’m sure a printing press and camera won’t hurt.)
Get your feet on the ground and capture what matters to your friend, your neighbor or yourself. Make your voice heard and amplify the voices of those who need the support. Find that angle that pushes you to write.
Because a story doesn’t have to be major – it just has to matter.
– Melissa
P.S. There’s always a spot open for you at Team Unwinnable.
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Melissa King is a freelance writer and a triple threat at Unwinnable – contributor, so-cial media editor and Exploits managing editor. Follow her writing or commission her work @LongLiveMelKing.